In our Christmas Tree

Thanksgiving was unlike any Thanksgiving that our family has ever known.  Bitter Sweet, we had loved ones that were not able to help celebrate our humble gratitude towards our life and love for one another and our precious Dear Lord.

Taking life's detours from time to time, we are a remarkable family.  I don't suspect we are that different than others.  We learn everyday, there is no one in this family that I won't support.  There are no conditions.  At the end of the day, they are my love, they are my life.

The Christmas Tree.  I love the way it can transform an ordinary room into a festive celebration.
I am not a big collector in other parts of my life, but when it comes to tree ornaments…I don’t throw any away and I keep adding them to the tree.

Our tree is a bit over-laden with decoration.  It reminds me a bit of a department store display, but unlike that display each and every ornament on that tree is a friend of the families that tells a story of Christmases past, our families past.

It isn’t about the beauty or theme, it is about the story each tells. The girls and I put up the tree last week, Thanksgiving night, yes, that tradition stays the same.  I took a few pictures tonight of some of the treasures found between the tree boughs.

We have had Father Christmas adorn our tree for about 22 years now.  About 5 years ago I was hankering to add some retro to the Christmas decor. Specifically from the 50's, Late at night, I would browse eBay in search for some 50's ornaments.
Unless I wanted to fork over $5.00 for an ornament, I'll stay local.

 Brilliantly I thought I would pick up one of the stars that blink on top of trees, from the 50's, they made a comeback and I wanted to throw that star right on top. The Christmas Story was my inspiration.
Eeerrrkkkk, throw on the brakes.

Two of my daughter's were with me at Cracker Barrel, CB had the "ole fashion" decor, at the time, one must have been 25 and the other 22.  When I went for the star to place on top of the wooden table where they wrap presents, I heard, "Momma! don't you dare!"  I turn around startled, "What?"  "Don't you dare buy that star for our tree." Nothing at all is wrong with Father Christmas.  Dazed and confused I gently took my hand away from the star.
Who knew that it would make a difference weather or not what item nestled at the top of the family Christmas Tree.  I do now....


When the girls were young, I went in search of plastic tree ornaments. They were impossible to find. They were hideous as well,  I wasn't worried, they had a specific purpose.  I had a three year old that loved to play ball with the ornaments.  There was no way I was going to fight that game with a 3 year old all season. I finally gave up, none to be found  So, my grandmother, better known as Nanny, gave me 6 of her homemade ornaments, they had pearls, velvet, beads, and colorful pins all about, she had made them for a local retirement facility that her church often volunteered.  She knew of my hunt for plastic orniments, so, she brought some of  them over in a red cloth mesh bag, "Deanna", she said, "take some of these and let her throw them around until her heart is content."

Made with Love, Nannie

So it was, I placed them in places that I knew she could and would reach.  She spotted them later that day, grabbed them as she pleased and flung those things as far as she possibly could.  Her 2 older sisters look at her, then at me and daddy, expecting someone to get fussed at, they soon realized when I looked and noticed their concern and said, "Its OK baby, those are yours, for all of you to enjoy,  That's all they needed,  they went over to where their baby sister was and joined in on the ball game.  Year after year when they spotted those ornaments, they all knew that they belonged to them.  To this day, 24 years later the ornaments  adorn the tree with "pulls" and "frays, & stains" all over them.  I look at them and see my little girls playing ball at Christmas Time.

When the girls were little, Oh C'mon, just one more.  As I was saying, when the girls were little, Oh I imagine my oldest was about 6, Curtis and I had went and purchased are first very own set of Living Room furniture, see, before that, they were all just pieces that came from various places, some of those places I don't care to mentioned.  Anyway, I'll never forget what the suite looked like, it was modest stripes, all mauve and country blue pattern, a wood base and wood arms.  The Reeds owned Badcock then, I had went to school with Kevin Reed.  So, the first Christmas that came after we had bought the suite we received from them a little "village" house,  Just one.  I used them as ornaments.  They came every year for 10 years.  So much so, that I had put them together, bought a few other pieces, and created a village that I  put out every Christmas, and still do.

The girls themselves have ornaments on the tress that they had made through out the years.  Rugrats, the cartoon even adorns the tree.  My 2nd girl loved the cartoon.  So much so that she insisted that we bought Chickie, her favorite. 
The family has grown, 90% of the ornaments have a special meaning, event, or memory.  The grand children's first Christmas, and decor that they themselves have made live in the boughs of our tree.